Siouxsie and The Banshees - "Face to Face" Music Video - Batman Returns
Upon commissioning Siouxsie and The Banshees to write and record a song with soundtrack composer, Danny Elfman for the 1992 Batman Returns movie - Tim Burton had also intended to direct the promotional music video for the resulting song,"Face To Face";
Tim Burton's Catwoman Sketch
However, after test audiences for the original cut of Batman Returns had responded badly to the death of Catwoman in the film's original ending, Burton was asked to re-edit and shoot a different ending - meaning that the video shoot for 'Face To Face' was ultimately given to Burton's assistant Neil Abramson to complete, along with Burton's instructions to match the music video to the 1992 Batman Returns Movie. Many of Tim Burton sketches and ideas of how he intended for the video to also went on to be used later in Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. On being asked to compose a song for Batman Returns, Siouxsie and The Banshees drummer, Budgie commented...
Budgie
"I'm sure Tim Burton had lots of reasons why he chose us.... He wanted something mysterious and sexy. Who else would he come to?" - Budgie, The Banshees
Siouxsie herself was apparently less keen on contributing to the Batman Returns soundtrack prior to learning that DC Comics character Catwoman would be prominently featured in the film...
Siouxsie Sioux on being commissioned to compose for Batman Returns
"As soon as I found out Catwoman was in this one, (Batman Returns) I just couldn't refuse it.
I think she (Catwoman) has been portrayed perfectly by Michelle Pfeiffer.
I think she looks great and she's really done a really good job of it."
Otherwise, the offical video for "Face to face" by Siouxsie and The Banshees can be found here: https://youtu.be/zpaqBXc5MTk
TopGeak: Doctor Who, Marvel, DC Comics, Batman
Finally, fans of Marvel, Doctor Who, DC Comics etc may also enjoy listening to the 1st podcast episode of #TopGeakfeaturing interviews with various Doctor Who's, disscussions on Batman, Superman etc... along with music and an interview with Girl From Winter Jargon. (This podcast also features the Girl From Winter Jargon Bad Cover Version of Siouxsie and The Banshees, "Face to face") "Can Marvel and DC Comics cope with the adult child conflicts in their products or is the bubble about to burst?
Face to Face - Siouxsie and the Banshees / Danny Elfman - Lyrics - Batman Returns
Face to face, my lovely foe Mouth to mouth, raining heaven's blows Hand on heart, tic tac toe Under the stars, naked as we flow Cheek to cheek, the bitter sweet Commit your crime in your deadly time It's too divine, I want to bend I want this bliss but something says I must resist Another life, another time We're Siamese twins, writhing, intertwined Face to face, no telling lies The masks, they slide to reveal a new disguise You never can win, it's the state I'm in This danger thrills and my conflict kills They say, follow your heart, follow it through But how can you, when it's split in two? And you'll never know You'll never know You'll never know One more kiss before we die Face to face and dream of flying Who are you? Who am I? Wind in wings, two angels falling To die like this with a last kiss It's falsehood's flame and it's a crying shame Face to face, the passions breathe I hate to stay, but then I hate to leave And you'll never know No, you'll never know No, no, you'll never know You'll never know You'll never know You'll never know No, no, you'll never know No, no, you'll never know You'll never know You'll never know You'll never know
I played acoustic version of 6 songs which will feature on the album I'm making and also talked with Tim Coid about Winter Jargon, my solo original work and Bad Cover Versions, including the Bad Cover Version of "Suburbia" by Pet Shop Boys - as requested by Tim Coid himself.
As ever, any likes / comments / shares are appreciated.
Today I went into the studio fully prepared to record all the piano tracks for my as yet untitled album, only to find that I was unhappy with how things were sounding... tonally.
So...
I'm going in another day with a new approach.
Thankfully I have the "other" Rachel who is all tolerant, wise and knowing,,,
who will purchase me a midi cable...
and feed it through a hole in the wall...
after moving some extremely heavy equipment to even get to said hold in wall...
"Wives and Lovers" is a 1963 song by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. (A commission to write a song for a movie of the same name - Wives and Lovers Movie / Film) It has been recorded by numerous male and female vocalists, instrumentalists and ensembles, most notably by Jack Jones in 1963. It is also quite possibly also the most sexist song I've ever heard. I was challenged to cover it by a young, married thing named Kim Maskill - who (thank goodness!) never sends her husband off with her hair still in curlers.
The playlist below contains my own "Bad Cover Version" of Wives and Lovers - Burt Bacharach / Hal David (more of which can be found here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL53daJ6Cc74AcaTCTuM8kjbfa1pGddiao) plus all the other versions of Wives and Lovers that I could find on YouTube.
So why did I want to cover Wives and Lovers by Burt Bacharach / Hal David - if I believe the song to be a tad on the sexist side? I agreed, not merely because it was requested as part of my little 'Ask me to sing anything' side project - (Bad Cover Versions - more on that in a sec) but also because I quite like the idea of being able to perform a song for ironic value, from a different point of view, tongue in cheek, with a sarcastic edge, a new twist or slant. Hopefully I achieved this, and if not, then the gun shot in the head at the end should help along the process maybe? I personally don't feel in anyway offended by the song since I do not believe it was ever intended to be offensive to anyone, and oddly - that might actually be it's charm...?? Not everyone agrees that the lyrics to Wives and Lovers are sexist... in fact, in true YouTube style there are those that strongly disagree with the very notion of Wives and Lovers being a sexist song.
Cries of "what's wrong with wanting to look nice for your husband!!?" and "this was written back when girls were expected to look nice for their husbands and husbands were expected to treat their wives with class" are heard.
It's not that I would dismiss either of those comments as valueless, but it cannot be denied that the undertone of Wives and Lovers strongly suggests that it is a wife's responsibility to ensure her husband doesn't stray from his marriage, and in order to do this she must maintain a very high standard of beauty. In the same breath it suggests that "men will always be men", therefore apparently have no self control, because they 'aren't able' to remain faithful if their wife continues to walk around the house without make up, and especially when 'day after day, there are girls at the office' who look more appealing. So the lyrics of 'Wives and Lovers' don't exactly dignify men either, neither do they putting across a positive or healthy message of male or female roles within a marriage. The real punchline of the whole thing is that the narrative of the song sets out to "warn" women of the impending danger of marital infidelity, all the while believing in so called "soundness" of it's own advice!
I think Wives and Lovers is what it is. It has it's place... it's historic... it isn't dangerous, but we can acknowledge it's flaws and laugh about it afterwards, right?
"Wives and Lovers" by Burt Bacharach / Hal David was part of my "Bad Cover Version" requests project. This is something I am currently doing for a bit of fun while I record and hammer away at my album of original music that I began making last year at Red Room Recording Studio. The idea is that, you ask me to sing anything, and I might just do it. I don't opt in for every request and I recently decided that I would avoid any more note - to - note cover versions. The reason for this is because I don't really want to cover songs that I would listen to or that are already a staple in the soundtrack of my life, since I do not feel that I can contribute anything to them. Instead, I want to cover songs that are interesting and that I can imagine being able to bring something of myself into, or change - not with the intention of bettering, but with the intent to rehash and to use part of what is already there to make something different out of.
Wives and Lovers - Burt Bacharach / Hal David Lyrics
"Wives And Lovers" (originally by Jack Jones) Hey, little girl Comb your hair, fix your make-up Soon he will open the door Don't think because There's a ring on your finger You needn't try any more For wives should always be lovers, too Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you I'm warning you Day after day There are girls at the office And men will always be men Don't send him off With your hair still in curlers You may not see him again For wives should always be lovers, too Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you He's almost here Hey, little girl Better wear something pretty Something you'd wear to go to the city And dim all the lights Pour the wine, start the music Time to get ready for love Oh, time to get ready, Time to get ready Time to get ready For love.
Some people ask why I refer to them as "Bad" Cover Versions. This is in part, a reference to a Pulp song of the same name as much as it is an example of my own self deprecating humour. Also, I wouldn't object to covering something that might be potentially considered bad, i.e "not good" on a wide, universal. scale. If I felt that I could bring something of myself into it or change the song into something new, then I will most likely take it on.
In other news, I will be continuing to record my as yet untitled album at Red Room Recording Studio this year.
In the meantime, feel free to request a song.
A little live acoustic session and interview for Radio Prudhoe / North East Unsigned Radio last Wednesday evening. ...
